SOS Urgent Action for Hector Julio Cedeno — Amnesty International / Luis Felipe Rojas

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Hector Julio Cedeño Negrin, another detailed Cuban independent journalist. Photo: Luis Felipe Rojas

We need to join our voices for this independent journalist who is not one of the best know in Cuba. I send this letter to Amnesty International, you can write your own:

Dear Sirs of AI:

This February 5 the independent journalist Héctor Julio Cedeño Negrín was arrested taking photos of an abuse committed by State Inspectors against independent workers in the streets of this city.

Cedeño Negrín reported via telephone from a police station to the “Hablemos Press” Press Agency that the soldiers and members of the inspectors corp threatened him, he returned to his house for a camera and tried to capture the harassment being committed, but he was beaten by several of those present and during his arrest he tore the shirt of a police officer who was hitting him, and now the want to charge him. Those are the facts.

This time it is again a brave opponent who daily confronts the Cuban political police with his writings, taking to the streets to talk with his neighbors and with people and actively participating in various demonstrations. On several occasions he has been beaten for trying to put flowers on the Malecon in Havana to commemorate the victims of the March 13 Tugboat, for recording the activities of the Ladies in White and for being a strong advocate of human rights.

Hector Julio Cedeño sends each of his writings to government political bodies, national and provincial newspapers, and every person of the Communist Party he believes appropriate. For these actions he has been threatened several times. The known represser of State Security, Col. Tamayo, personally threatened him with jail about four months ago. At other times, even when I was at his house, young police officers to ordered him not to leave his house when they were undertaking any demonstration, orders, which of course he did not obey.

Right now we are afraid that one more injustice is being committed and they will end up trying him or Detaining him for several months without charges, as happens with other compatriots. The issue is someone who is active and confrontational that the forces of repression want out of the way.

On behalf of hundreds of activists and intellectuals, I hope that you will issue a statement as something from you puts the authorities of my country on high alert and shows the solidarity with his case.

Thank you for your attention,

Luis Felipe Rojas, author of the blog “Crossing the Barbed Wire”

February 10 2013